Goodbye Lullaby
by DarkHeart89
Summary: He hugged her to his chest, cradling her in his arms, whispering silence prayers, begging all of god's angels, all of his power that Artemis survived. He couldn't live without her. He couldn't go on without her... One-shot. Traught all the way. NOT ONESIDED. Artemis is with Robin, Kaldur really is evil, and she really is dying..


Goodbye Lullaby

Nightwing's eyes widened as he saw Kaldur stab Artemis, his blue spear slicing through her chest. His heart stopped and time froze.

No no no no no…

There was a choked cough; her eyes bulging and she stumbled back, gasping for breath, clutching her chest.

Nightwing darted forward, catching his love.

"Welcome back." Kaldur smirked evilly, not even second glancing the fallen archer.

Nightwing's teeth clenched and tears brimmed his eyes. "Stay with me…" He begged, his tone hushed and broken. She was dying and he couldn't do anything to save her.

He hugged her to his chest, cradling her in his arms, whispering silence prayers, begging all of god's angels, all of his power that Artemis survived. He couldn't live without her.

He couldn't go on without her.

~Megan! Artemis is down, she was stabbed by Kaldur, come please…~ He begged, contracting their mental link in desperation.

Every breath was a struggle for Artemis, she felt as if someone was squeezing her lungs, enabling her to breath. Her heartbeat was hardly there and Artemis knew she didn't have that much longer. She stared up at Nightwing, her gray eyes tired, weak. She would continue to fight, fight for him.

She gasped. "…R-Richard!" She whispered hoarsely, her tone hardly audible.

His head shot down and he smiled grimly. "Hey…" He brushed a strand of blonde off her face with his finger delicately; as if he pressed to hard she would just…break.

She swallowed shakily. "T-Tell my Mom I love her and that I-" He stopped her, a lump gathering in his throat, his pulse thumping in his head so loud it was hard to think.

"No…" He whispered, his voice hard. His body was shaking. He could see the light in her eyes fading, he was losing her. "I-I won't let you die on me!" He demanded. He couldn't let her die, not her too.

She smiled weakly, wincing as he applied further pressure. "You can't save me this time…"

"But I will." He insisted, tears streaming down his face.

She shook her head and traced a hand down the side of his face, picking at the edge of his mask as a shudder racked through her body, her breathing shallowing.

Ugh! When was Megan coming?

"No!" He cried in outrage, startling her.

Her eyes reopened and she peered at him. "Your persistence is annoying sometimes." She teased softly.

"I know." He covered her hand with his. He swallowed, shutting his eyes in frustration. "I should of let you come…" He blamed himself fully for what was happening to her.

She tense, pain rippling through her chest and abdomen, making her grind her teeth. "Like I said before," She let out a shallow breath. "I wasn't going to give this up until my dying day." She then smiled softly. "And that just happens to be today."

He swallowed a sob, feeling so useless. "No…" He whined.

~Megan please!~ Why wasn't she responding!

"R-Richard.." She stuttered, her eyes half-lidded.

"Yes Artemis.: He choked, gripping her hand tightly.

"P-Please take off your mask…" She trailed off and he shook her.

"Why?"

She smiled sheepishly. "I wanna see your eyes…" He nodded, not caring. He wanted to give his girl whatever she wanted. He pulled the domino mask off, his blue eyes staring intensly at her, a bit bloodshot.

"Beautiful…" She whispered.

He shakily leaned down and kissing her forehead, her skin so cold.

"One more thing.." Her eyes shut, fluttering.

"Anything!" He shouted, trying to keep her awake, alive, here.

"You don't have to yell!" She hissed. "I'm not dead yet."

"Fine, sorry." She smiled and tugged his face closer to hers.

"Kiss me. One last time." He swallowed and nodded, his body shaking harder. He pressed his lips hard to hers, throwing as much passion and love he could muster into it, taking her breath away, or the last of it.

She responded with as much energy she could, her pulse slowing, yet she felt so alive.

They both heard Conner and Megan start to run over, but by then it was far too late. Her heart stopped completely and she didn't respond to his lips, her hand falling limp off his face.

"I love you…" He heard her murmur, her eyes rolling back.

"No!" He cried, beginning CPR.

18

19

20

He pushed her chest three times. Come on!

Megan and Conner exchanged glances.

"Ugh, I don't hear a heartbeat…" Conner voiced with hesitation.

Sobs racked Nightwing's body and his head hung, his body shaking so hard it didn't look human. She was dead, gone, capiche.

"NO!" He cried in sorrow, clutching her body, burying his head in her neck, inhaling her jasmine scent, or the last of it.

Megan held back tears. It was so sad seeing Nightwing reduced to a wailing mess. She could feel all of his sorrow, his pain.

"Don't go…" He sobbed into her neck, his body shutting down. He couldn't breath, he couldn't think, he had no will to live anymore, she was gone. One of the only things that brought him joy and happiness was gone.

She was gone…

X.x.X.x.X.x.X

Richard Grayson bend over Artemis Crock's grave, her battered body tucked in a mahogney casket below, her tombstone read:

Artemis Crock

1995-2016

May 7th 1995- March 11 2016

Teammate, friend, daughter, sister, lover, partner, Spitfire

May her snarky spirit stay with her.

Richard wiped a stray tear and rested a bundle of white and purple lilies next to her gravestone and kneeling in front of it.

"Hey Artemis," He smiled brightly as if she really was there. "It's hard without you here, scolding me, being your snarky self, but knowing you, you'll find away to continue berating me, somehow." He laughed. "I'll make it quick, you're probably snarking at Tile right now, but I miss you, I love you," He swallowed, his breath catching in his throat as he pulled out a small black box. "I thought about giving you this before the mission, but I didn't think you were going to…die." He choked it out, and rolled his eyes wiping his tears with a wry laugh.

"If you were here you'd probably smack the back of my head and tell me to stop being such a baby, but you can't can you?" He stared at her grave. "I just want you to know," He dug some of the fresh dirt away, tucking the small box inside, standing up and turned his back. He glanced back with a stifled cry. "I would have been proud to call you Artemis Grayson."

And as soon as he said it, he felt one, mere raindrop fall onto his face and he knew it was from Artemis. She was in heaven. And while he made his way back to Alfred and the limo, he swore he heard Artemis whispering in that husky tone of hers,

"I love you Richard…Good bye…" Anybody would of thought they were hearing things, but not Richard. He knew Artemis was still out there, still snarking, stilling being the best Spitfire she could be, and nothing could stop her now…

AN: First Traught story! You like? It almost made me cry it was so sad… poor Richie. Anyway, leave me a review if you may, thanks! :o)


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